PoliceNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94PoliceThu, 08 Dec 2016 09:55:29 +0000Policehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org
Wayne PrattThe deadly ambush of police in Dallas is prompting law enforcement in the St. Louis area to take precautions to better protect officers. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Sam Dotson says he is taking steps to “maximize the safety of officers” throughout his department. They include: All on duty officers working in pairs until further notice.(That includes police, park rangers and marshals.)All personnel leaving stations for law enforcement duties will be required to ballistic vestsSupervisors and Commanders will make sure officers follow the revised guidelines.Chief Sam Dotson stl police 1.27.15 Dotson has been with the department since 1993. He became chief in 2012.Credit Katelyn Petrin | St. Louis Public Radio internEdit | Remove In a Twitter post, Dotson says the regulations are effective immediately and until further notice. The St. Louis County Police Department tells St. Louis Public Radio that its officers have always “been required to wear ballistic vests any time while onDallas ambush prompts officer safety measures in St. Louishttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/dallas-ambush-prompts-officer-safety-measures-st-louis
53348 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 08 Jul 2016 18:27:32 +0000Dallas ambush prompts officer safety measures in St. LouisStephanie Lecci Ferguson has selected a veteran of the Miami police department to be its new police chief. Ferguson picks Miami cop to be next police chiefhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ferguson-picks-miami-cop-be-next-police-chief
51477 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 31 Mar 2016 20:57:24 +0000Ferguson picks Miami cop to be next police chiefCamille PhillipsA Kansas City-area Republican is sponsoring a bill that would set limits on when police camera footage is public record in Missouri. The bill would block access to body camera recordings shot in homes, hospitals and schools unless the investigation is closed and someone in the video requests it. Missouri bill would define open records access for police camerashttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-bill-would-define-open-records-access-police-cameras
51118 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 31 Jan 2016 00:21:22 +0000Missouri bill would define open records access for police camerasKelly MoffittBlack males are 21 times more likely than white males to be killed by a police officer. With statistics like these in mind, a Saint Louis University professor and public health researcher has recently proposed concrete steps to reduce police shootings of black males in the Journal of Urban Health. Keon Gilbert, DrPH, joined “St. Louis on the Air” on Tuesday to discuss those steps and what people can do, even with limited resources, to reduce the number of black males killed by police. He co-authored the paper with Rashawn Ray, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Maryland. Gilbert, who has done work with the For the Sake of All project, considers these shooting deaths as a public health issue. “It’s a public health issue because people are dying. People are getting hurt. Because this is a cause of death, it is really important for us to think about the underlying mechanisms that lead to this.” Here are his recommendations: Collecting and analyzing data to driveA Saint Louis University professor’s solutions-oriented research on police shootings of black maleshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/saint-louis-university-professor-s-solutions-oriented-research-police-shootings-black-males
50941 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 12 Jan 2016 20:32:20 +0000A Saint Louis University professor’s solutions-oriented research on police shootings of black malesKelly MoffittFollowing the police shooting death of Michael Brown in August 2014, there was a flurry of activity surrounding police and municipal court reform, as a well as public safety. Those efforts spilled over into 2015, which saw some changes come to St. Louis and St. Louis County. On Tuesday’s “St. Louis on the Air,” we discussed the year’s biggest public safety, courts and police news with St. Louis Public Radio reporter Rachel Lippmann, who has been covering these issues for several years. Here’s some of what we discussed: Police reform: where will the county legislation go, what’s been done, what’s going to be next?Crime, gun control, public safety, and Board of Aldermen legislation relating to thatMunicipal court reformThe Department of Justice's reports on civil rights in the region"The biggest thing and the one that will continue to have the most ripple effects into 2016 and beyond, was the release of two Department of Justice's civil rights reports," said Lippmann. "We had the one2015 in Review: Strides made in courts and police reform, as well as public safety for St. Louishttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/2015-review-strides-made-courts-and-police-reform-well-public-safety-st-louis
50760 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 29 Dec 2015 19:51:43 +00002015 in Review: Strides made in courts and police reform, as well as public safety for St. LouisCamille PhillipsAs negotiations to reform the Ferguson Police Department continue between the city of Ferguson and the U.S. Department of Justice, a group of Ferguson residents spearheaded by the Organization for Black Struggle says it’s concerned that the taxpayers and community members don’t know the details of those negotiations. The group, known as the Ferguson Collaborative, wants community stakeholders to be able to weigh in at a public “fairness hearing” before a judge signs off on the consent decree. Activists, Ferguson residents, call for public hearing once consent decree is filedhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/activists-ferguson-residents-call-public-hearing-once-consent-decree-filed
50302 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 04 Dec 2015 05:40:48 +0000Activists, Ferguson residents, call for public hearing once consent decree is filedJim HowardWASHINGTON - Just days after Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy stepped down, as part of the fallout from the police shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is asking Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate the police department’s “policies and practices.” Durbin requests DOJ investigation of Chicago Policehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/durbin-requests-doj-investigation-chicago-police-0
50290 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 03 Dec 2015 22:21:03 +0000Durbin requests DOJ investigation of Chicago PoliceJason RosenbaumThe St. Louis County Council passed by a 4-2 margin legislation setting up operational, hiring and training standards for municipal police departments. The county executive’s office could effectively dissolve departments that don’t meet the benchmarks and force them to contract with another law enforcement agency. (Both the county executive’s office and county council would also have the right to review policing contracting arrangements between cities.) Amid lawsuit threats, St. Louis County Council passes police standards billhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/amid-lawsuit-threats-st-louis-county-council-passes-police-standards-bill
50231 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 02 Dec 2015 03:36:33 +0000Amid lawsuit threats, St. Louis County Council passes police standards billJason RosenbaumThe St. Louis County Council took a big step toward prompting municipal police departments to adhere to certain standards, a proposal that’s bringing about warnings of litigation from the county’s cities and towns. Earlier this fall, Stenger publicized a plan that would prompt municipal police departments to adhere to training, hiring and operational standards. The county executive’s office could effectively dissolve departments that don’t meet the benchmarks and prompt them to contract with another law enforcement agency. (Both the county executive’s office and county council would also have the right to review policing contracting arrangements between cities.) (Click here to read more about the police standards proposal.) The police standards legislation initially passed the council on Tuesday by a voice vote. The Council made some alterations to the original proposal, including modifying how municipalities could appeal any decision made about its police department. For his part,Council moves forward with municipal police standards billhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/council-moves-forward-municipal-police-standards-bill
50122 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 25 Nov 2015 14:05:07 +0000Council moves forward with municipal police standards billJason RosenbaumIt’s pretty difficult to find two municipalities that differ more than Florissant and Glen Echo Park. Florissant is one of St. Louis County’s largest and oldest cities – and possesses a fairly sophisticated police department. The roughly 160-person strong Glen Echo Park is one of the county’s smallest municipalities with a land area consisting of a whopping 0.03 square miles. It contracts with Normandy for police service. But leaders of the two cities share a commonality: They’re both strongly opposed to St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s push to establish standards on municipal police departments. On the Trail: County cities band together to oppose Stenger's police standards pushhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-county-cities-band-together-oppose-stengers-police-standards-push
49813 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 16 Nov 2015 11:03:30 +0000On the Trail: County cities band together to oppose Stenger's police standards pushKelly MoffittNick Berardini was just a journalism student at the University of Missouri when he was sent out on an assignment that would impact his life and his career as a filmmaker. He was sent to Moberly, Missouri to report on a man who died while in police custody after being pulled over for drunk driving. Berardini would later find out it was because he was hit with a stun gun in the chest three times for a total of 31 seconds. He died of cardiac arrest soon thereafter. Related: Film Festival: Movies that touch on crime and crime prevention Following this revelation, Berardini continued on a mission to find answers about how a supposedly non-lethal weapon in the hands of police could end up killing someone. What he found, from the depths of Taser International’s corporate rigmarole to the number of people who’d been killed in Taser-related deaths, was enough to fill a documentary. He started the documentary process through a day-long visit to Taser International, where he spoke with theMissouri Taser-related death was the impetus for Nick Berardini’s ‘Killing Them Safely'http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-taser-related-death-was-impetus-nick-berardini-s-killing-them-safely
49589 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 04 Nov 2015 22:35:45 +0000Missouri Taser-related death was the impetus for Nick Berardini’s ‘Killing Them Safely'Rachel LippmannA statewide group that advises the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says the federal government needs to be gathering a lot more information about police tactics in Missouri and across the country. The brief report summarizes two days of public hearings the Missouri Advisory Committee held last year in Kansas City and St. Louis. Members will have until Jan. 11 to comment on the summary. A full report is due in April. Findings There isn't enough data gathered about police shootings, or use of force in general, to make any solid recommendations for policy changes.Implicit racial biases likely lead to minority communities having more negative, contacts with police. But there is very limited training on recognizing implicit bias.The fragmented nature of municipal governing in St. Louis makes the problem even worse.Police have become the face of government as cuts are made to other services like mental healthThere is a lack of accountability in police culture, and the complaint process isLatest post-Ferguson report sounds similar noteshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/latest-post-ferguson-report-sounds-similar-notes
49579 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 02 Nov 2015 22:28:50 +0000Latest post-Ferguson report sounds similar notesJo ManniesIt’s now up to the St. Louis County Council to decide whether to approve or reject County Executive Steve Stenger’s plan to set minimum standards for the county’s 57 local police departments. At Tuesday night’s council meeting, county Municipal League Executive Director Pat Kelly sought to soften the initial criticisms that some of his organization’s members have leveled since Stenger rolled out his proposal last week. Their concerns center on fears that some local police departments may have to disband. Stenger, Municipal League in talks to ease concerns about his police proposalhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/stenger-municipal-league-talks-ease-concerns-about-his-police-proposal
49457 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 28 Oct 2015 05:16:30 +0000Stenger, Municipal League in talks to ease concerns about his police proposalJim HowardThe push for criminal justice reform did not start with the shooting death of Michael Brown, but the events in Ferguson and elsewhere appear to have created momentum for change. More than 100 police chiefs from across the U.S. are in Washington, D.C., this week to push Congress and the White House to make “common sense” changes in criminal laws and sentencing options for nonviolent drug offenders. Police chiefs push for reforms, say Ferguson focused national attention on the need for changehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/police-chiefs-push-reforms-say-ferguson-focused-national-attention-need-change
49330 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 22 Oct 2015 02:54:37 +0000Police chiefs push for reforms, say Ferguson focused national attention on the need for changeWillis Ryder ArnoldThe St. Louis Downtown Police Bike Unit is hoping to serve the community creatively while addressing gun violence. To this end, officers organized a show of artwork they produced. Funds raised from the sale of this work will be donated to Jamyla Bolden’s fourth-grade class in the Riverview Gardens School District. Officer Solomon Thurman, III, serves in the bike unit and his parents run the gallery. He hopes the show lets the class know one thing. “They’re not alone and she’s looking over them and her spirit inspired us as far as to help them,” Thurman said. Two months ago 9-year-old Jamyla was shot in her home in Ferguson. Her death quickly became a symbol of St. Louis’s rising death toll caused by gun violence. Many of the images feature the officers bikes and other objects from their experiences while on the job but some drawings that featured police-specific imagery like handcuffs were excluded. Officers participating in the gallery show saw wanted to show Bolden’s classmates thatBike cops use art to raise awareness of gun violencehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/bike-cops-use-art-raise-awareness-gun-violence
49063 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 09 Oct 2015 03:35:34 +0000Bike cops use art to raise awareness of gun violenceDurrie Bouscaren A Missouri state commission tasked with developing new training and professional standards for law enforcement held a public hearing on Thursday. More than a dozen residents, elected officials and members of law enforcement took to the podium to voice their opinions in the student center at St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley over the course of two hours. Dellwood resident Darnell Singleton, a former code inspector, recommended offering financial incentives to officers to live in the communities where they work as a way to increase the diversity of the police force. Training on cultural awareness and implicit bias must also be improved, he said. “We should not have white people teaching white people about what it’s like to be black,” Singleton told the commission. In early August, Gov. Jay Nixon asked the Missouri Department of Public Safety to issue new training requirements for officers based on recommendations from the Ferguson Commission report. The report has fiveStatewide agency gathers suggestions to improve law enforcement in St. Louis http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/statewide-agency-gathers-suggestions-improve-law-enforcement-st-louis
48750 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 25 Sep 2015 00:19:03 +0000Statewide agency gathers suggestions to improve law enforcement in St. Louis Camille PhillipsStanding in the annex of the Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church Sunday, St. Louis attorney Pamela Meanes told congregants that increased attention to African Americans shot by police has yet to translate into substantial changes to laws and policies. The immediate past president of the National Bar Association, Meanes was the fourth speaker in the church’s lecture series on “The Ferguson Effect.” She spoke about the impact of Ferguson on the legal system. “The legal effect on Ferguson is that we’ve shined a light on where the gaping holes are. In a year we haven’t fixed any of them,” said Meanes, a partner at Thompson Coburn. “We have debated cameras, but does Missouri have a camera law? No. We’ve debated training. Has Missouri passed a codified training program? No.” St. Louis attorney calls on Congress to set national standards for police use of forcehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-attorney-calls-congress-set-national-standards-police-use-force
48039 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 24 Aug 2015 01:36:31 +0000St. Louis attorney calls on Congress to set national standards for police use of forceDonna Korando Updated at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 with information on protests, police response - St. Louis police fired tear gas and made nine arrests Wednesday night after a couple hundred protesters gathered at Page Boulevard and Walton Avenue. Earlier near the intersection, police fatally shot Mansur Ball-Bey, an 18-year-old black man who, they say, pointed a gun at officers while fleeing from a house search. St. Louis police kill man, fire tear gas after protest buildshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-police-kill-man-fire-tear-gas-after-protest-builds
47971 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 20 Aug 2015 04:17:57 +0000St. Louis police kill man, fire tear gas after protest buildsShula Neuman As night fell Monday, demonstrators returned to West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson to resume their vigil after Sunday night’s police-involved shooting. For several hours, things were calm. People marched up and down West Florissant. Some danced to the drum circles and other chanted slogans. But around 10 p.m. tensions began to flare. St. Louis County Police tweeted that people were throwing frozen water bottles at them. The police, who were out in riot gear, gave warnings for the crowds to disperse. They used pepper spray on several protesters and arrested those who didn’t cooperate. Throughout the night, the tension alternated between wary calm with about a hundred protesters and several dozen media walking the sidewalk on one side of West Florissant while the police remained on the other side. The evening was reminiscent of last August. Every now and then, individuals in the crowd would throw something at the police or the police would warn people to get out of the street and policeDozens arrested Monday night but no gunfire reported in what some call 'Ferguson August'http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/dozens-arrested-monday-night-no-gunfire-reported-what-some-call-ferguson-august
47780 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 11 Aug 2015 09:10:21 +0000Dozens arrested Monday night but no gunfire reported in what some call 'Ferguson August'Durrie Bouscaren With more than a hundred homicides already this year, St. Louis is no stranger to gun violence. On July 14, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department sergeant was ambushed while working a second, security job in the early hours of the morning. The officer survived thanks to a bulletproof vest, and four suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting. We independently confirmed the identity of the officer with the St. Louis Police, but have granted him anonymity out of his concern for the safety of his family in order to hear his perspective on the situation. He spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Durrie Bouscaren. Here is a transcript of the highlights. They’ve been edited for clarity: On the night of the shooting: OFFICER: I was working secondary—a side job after my regular police department job, where officers get a chance to make additional money to make the ends meet with their families. In total, they found about 18 bullet holes in the windshield. I guess that wasBlack police officer after ambush: 'Doesn’t my life matter?'http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/black-police-officer-after-ambush-doesn-t-my-life-matter
47503 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 29 Jul 2015 10:38:44 +0000Black police officer after ambush: 'Doesn’t my life matter?'